喜樂美語

核心畫面

You can think of 'tend' as leaning or stretching in one direction rather than another. Something that 'tends' isn't standing straight up in the middle — it keeps slanting the same way, so you can guess which way it will go.

可以把 tend 想成「往某個方向斜過去、伸過去」。一個會 tend 的東西不是端端正正站在中間，而是老往同一邊偏，…更多收起可以把 tend 想成「往某個方向斜過去、伸過去」。一個會 tend 的東西不是端端正正站在中間，而是老往同一邊偏，所以你大概猜得到它會倒向哪裡、走向哪裡。

From the word’s history

From Latin tendere 'to stretch, aim, direct oneself' (the same root as 'tension' and 'tendency'). To tend is to be stretched or aimed toward a direction — and one branch, the 'look after' sense, comes from 'attend' (ad- 'toward' + tendere), literally stretching your attention toward something.

來自拉丁文 tendere（拉伸、瞄準、朝某方向使勁），和 tension（張力）、tendency（傾向）同源。tend 就是「被朝某方向拉過去、瞄過去」。其中「照料」這一支，源自 attend（ad-「朝向」＋ tendere），字面是把你的注意力伸向某物去守著它。

etymonline.com/word/tend, etymonline.com/word/attend (Online Etymology Dictionary)

From the picture

把心力伸向去照料

同樣是「伸向」，只是這裡伸出去的是你的注意力和雙手：守在某人某物旁邊、把它顧好（這一支源自 attend，把心力伸向對象）。所以從「偏向」跨到「照料」，靠的是同一個朝某物延伸過去的動作。

look after, tend to · verb · B2

To look after or take care of someone or something.

照料／照顧

Also in this word

tend to, usually · verb · B1

To usually do something, or to usually happen in a particular way.

傾向於／往往會

tend toward a quality · verb · B2

To be likely to have a particular quality more than any other.

偏向／趨向

tend, drift in a direction · verb · C1

To move or change gradually in a particular direction.

趨向／走向

原始詞典資料10 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

tendverb詞源 1/ˈtɛnd/

  • 1

    lawTo make a tender of; to offer or tender.

  • 2

    To be likely, or probable to do something, or to have a certain habit or leaning.

    • They tend to go out on Saturdays.
    • It tends to snow here in winter.
  • 3

    To contribute to or toward some outcome.

    • The Lords in 1722 declared that annexing such Clauses tends to the destruction of this government. And yet there are such bills every session and you pass them.

tendverb詞源 2/ˈtɛnd/

  • 1

    To look after (e.g. an ill person.)

    • We need to tend to the garden, which has become a mess.
  • 2

    To accompany as an assistant or protector; to care for the wants of; to look after; to watch; to guard.

    • Shepherds tend their flocks.
    • There's not a sparrow or a wren, / There's not a blade of autumn grain, / Which the four seasons do not tend / And tides of life and increase lend.
  • 3

    To wait (upon), as attendants or servants; to serve; to attend.

    • Was he not companion with the riotous knights / That tend upon my father?
  • 4

    obsoleteTo await; to expect.

    • Had I not. Four or five women once that tended me?
  • 5

    obsoleteTo be attentive to; to note carefully; to attend to.

    • Being to descend / A ladder much in height, I did not tend / My way well down.
  • 6

    nauticaltransportTo manage (an anchored vessel) when the tide turns, to prevent it from entangling the cable when swinging.

tendverb詞源 3/ˈtɛnd/

  • 1

    dialectalTo kindle; ignite; set on fire; light; inflame; burn.

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。